CHAPTER IX 

 MANAGEMENT OF THE GROWING CROP 



Cultivation. Almost invariably judicious cultiva- 

 tion of potato land is profitable. It is secondary to 

 good preparation of the land. The object is not 

 primarily to destroy weeds, although this may be a 

 consideration. To-day intelligent farmers till to in- 

 crease yield. Tillage is manuring. No better illustra- 

 tions of this fact can be found than the tillage experi- 

 ments of Roberts and others at Cornell University. 1 In 

 these trials potatoes were grown several years in suc- 

 cession, without manures or fertilizers, upon the same 

 land, and yields varying from 300 to 350 bushels per 

 acre, or three to four times the average yield of the 

 State, were secured for several years. This illustrates 

 the value of tillage, but in its entirety is not necessarily 

 a good practice. Tillage destroys humus, and as this 

 is one of the most essential constituents of a good 

 potato soil, a rotation of crops is advised to aid in 

 maintaining the supply. Tillage may be overdone, 

 especially deep tillage in dry weather. During such a 

 time only sufficient shallow tillage should be given to 

 maintain a mulch. 



At Cornell from seven to nine cultivations seemed to 

 be most profitable, or about every seven to ten days until 

 the potato-vines meet in the rows. Tillage must be 

 given when necessary. The right number of cultiva- 



(N. Y.) Cornell Bui. 140, pp. 389-390; 191, p. 192. 



105 



